


Until Midnight

by ladyfoxgloves



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:14:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23113024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyfoxgloves/pseuds/ladyfoxgloves
Summary: Reina Ito had finally resigned herself to a lackluster existence of pencil-pushing at Kaiba Corp when one night changed everything. Could a one night stand with Seto Kaiba, President and CEO and kind of her boss, change everything for the better? Or would she stay stuck in her non-existence, trying in vain to escape her dangerous past?
Relationships: Kaiba Seto/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

Reina Ito clutched the stack of folders with clammy hands as the elevator moved smoothly up to the top floor. It was Friday night, long past the time she should have left, but she had to get these papers signed and filed by midnight. Her stomach lurched as the elevator stopped, the ring of the bell suddenly sinister as she forced herself to step out. 

The floor was dark and empty, except a few late night execs burning the midnight oil. The light from their offices escaped under the bottom of their doors, illuminating the smallest swath of tile.

She stepped gingerly down the hallway, regretting her choice to wear heels today. It was bad enough that she would be disturbing the head of the entire company, let alone clacking the entire way to his office. Her stomach turned with dread again and she checked her watch in the dim light. Just after 11, plenty of time.

She retreated down the hall and slipped into the nearby women's restroom. The energy efficient lighting kept the room just bright enough for the women on staff to adjust their makeup. Reina put the folder down on the counter and looked at her own haggard appearance. 

She had put on a little mascara but other than that she had not bothered with makeup that morning. The large black frames of her glasses didn’t really assist with eye makeup. She had light brown eyes and a dusting of freckles that had managed to become fashionable in recent years. Her thick hair was clipped into a bun at the nape of her neck. The front of her skirt was wrinkled after sitting in an office chair all day. Hell, it had been wrinkled when she put it on this morning. She hadn't the heart to dig out her little ironing board this morning.

Her one room apartment had seemed especially sad this morning. The dismal rent she paid for it already seemed like an insurmountable sum. After being passed up for two promotions in as many years, Reina was finally coming to terms with the fact that she had landed herself into a dead end job.

She reminded herself of why she had chosen this life. Her life was small, but it was hers. And she would not give up her independence for anything. She hadn’t had a serious relationship since she decided to start out on her own. And that was fine. Boyfriends asked too many questions. Questions that it was better for everyone that she did not answer.

Instead the highlight of her day was when Seto Kaiba, President and CEO of Kaiba Corp, passed through her department to meet with the head of Legal. Every day, without fail, the man would walk past their ergonomically designed cubicles and pause at her boss's door to make sure nothing needed his attention. Kaiba had always been a hands on kind of boss.

He never seemed to leave the office. He was always immaculately dressed in a well tailored suit. His hair was always a little too long, as if he never stopped working long enough to get a decent hair cut. In two years Reina had never seen him smile. Yet it didn't stop her from having a violent and pathetic school girl crush on the man.

Reina smoothed her hand over her fluttering stomach and adjusted her shirt in the mirror. She willed herself to stop blushing with every fiber of her being. All she had to do was ask Kaiba to sign a few papers. It was perfectly simple. There was no need to be flustered. No need to remember that just last night she had masturbated while thinking of his face.

She leaned against the counter and looked herself in the eye. "Enough," she whispered.

She gave one last adjustment to her hair and scooped up the folders. Everything was fine. She just needed these forms signed and she could go back to her cubicle and cease to exist.

Even after her private pep talk she walked slowly through the dark halls so her shoes wouldn't announce her presence. Low lighting guided her way down darkly panelled walls. They gleamed with the occasional stainless steel fixture or glass panel. The custom modern furnishings was a stark contrast to the plain design of the legal department. Even the air had a crispness to it that reminded her of a cool spring day. 

Kaiba's secretary was long gone, his chair properly tucked in behind his desk. A thin beam of light shone under Kaiba's door. The metal plate bearing his name and title glinted at her as it caught the LED lighting as she came closer. She took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. Then she knocked.

"Come in."

A chill ran up her spine at the sound of his brusque voice. She had heard him speak to many people in passing, but it was so odd to suddenly be on the receiving end.

She opened the door cautiously and stepped in. "Mr. Kaiba, sir. Sorry to bother you…"

"Close the door. You're late so let's not bother with any pleasantries."

Late? Reina checked her watch again. Still 50 minutes till midnight. How did he even know to expect her? She stood in front of the door and took in the office. The overhead lights were off and instead low level accent lighting lit the room. A single light from the ceiling illuminated Kaiba’s desk. 

The corner office held two walls of windows. Kaiba’s desk sat in the corner where the windows met. To Reina’s left was a conference table with six chairs. To her right sat a seating area with a low sofa and table. A cart by the conference table held glass and barware, but there was no liquor on it.

Kaiba finished typing something and then closed his laptop with a snap. The single light above him cast a shadow across his eyes that gave him a sinister look. "I'm assuming I still only have you until midnight? Marie ought to know by now that this kind of behavior isn't acceptable."

He raised his head to look at her and Reina gulped. Her head was spinning as she frantically thought of something to say. Anything to say. But she just kept repeating the name ‘Marie’ in her head.  _ Was there a Marie in Human Resources? _ But instead Reina just gazed at the line of Kaiba's jaw and the way his hair fell against his forehead.

She managed to mutter, "Um…" Any other words were wiped from her memory as Kaiba moved towards her. There was no other way to describe his assured gait as he walked up to her. He prowled towards her as if he was ready to pounce should she make any sudden movements. His shoulders were tight as he grabbed her chin with one hand and tilted her face up to the light.

He said, "I'll give her credit, she's getting a lot closer to figuring out what I like. But the shabby suit and glasses are a little much."

And before she could react he had pulled off her glasses and hair clip, causing her hair to cascade around her shoulders. Then with just the slightest intake of breath he smelled her hair as it settled around her.

She stared into his icy blue eyes and felt her cheeks burning. Her mind raced.  _ Was he actually coming onto her? A lowly assistant who checked contracts all day? How did he even know she existed? _

He tossed her hair clip and glasses onto a table by the door, then the folder in her arms followed them. She looked at him with unconcealed confusion and...desire? She could already feel her body heating up under his gaze. This was the last scenario she had imagined. Well, actually, she had imagined this exact scenario before. But she had never thought it would actually happen. And now Seto Kaiba was undoing his tie and looking at her with a hungry look in his eyes. He was practically devouring her.

He gave her the tiniest smirk. "You must be new at this."

Reina finally found her voice. She squeaked out, "I wouldn't say  _ new _ ."

"Did Marie explain my rules?"

_ Really, who the hell was Marie? _ Clearly she had missed some important communication that could have prepared her for the fact that Kaiba wanted to have sex with her.

Instead she just shook her head. She was not mentally prepared for this. This was her boss right? Wasn't this an abuse of power? She knew all the legal reasons why this was not okay and yet she was drawing a blank on why exactly she should excuse herself from this situation. Her eyes just kept going to his hands as he pulled off his tie and suit jacket.

His shirt was tight against his shoulders as he moved to start undoing the shirt’s buttons. Reina swallowed. When was the last time she had even had sex? _Was it last year?_ _Dear God_.

"One. I don't kiss on the mouth. Two. No theatrics. I don't go for that porn-star screaming. It's just embarrassing. Even though it's late, there are still people working in this building and I don't want to attract attention. And most importantly..."

Reina nodded, her gaze dropping as he undid the last button on his shirt. His white undershirt was tight against his body and his chest looked oh-so inviting. A small part of her hoped this last rule was a doozy. Anything to give herself a chance to back out before having a one night stand with her boss. Well, her boss's boss, technically...her boss’s boss’s boss? She was falling down the rabbit hole fast.

Kaiba slipped his shirt off and draped it over the back of a chair. He tugged at the undershirt and then it was over his head. A well defined chest and strong stomach, paired with well rounded shoulders of a man who lifted weights regularly. Reina took a deep breath.  _ Haircut be damned if that’s what he spends his spare time on. _

His hands went to his belt and lingered there. "If you tell anyone that we are  _ acquainted _ , I’ll make sure you regret it. Do you understand?"

Reina gulped. Yup, that was a doozy of a red flag. She could lose her job over this. She had to be sure she wanted to consent to this. Her eyes went to his hands as he pulled the belt through the buckle. Hadn’t she just been complaining that this was a dead end job? 

_ Fuck it _ .

"Understood." Reina was surprised at the confidence in her own voice. So much for her boss saying she never took initiative, she was going to take all of it now.

Kaiba didn't wait for her to say anything else. Instead he closed the space between them and pulled her jacket off roughly. He flung it on the floor and grabbed her button up shirt in two fistfuls. With a few jerks of his hands the buttons were ripped away.

The cool air of his office raised goosebumps on her breasts. He looked at her faded flesh toned bra with disdain as he pulled her shirt off. "Is this a joke?"

Reina had about a second to feel mortified before his hands slipped her bra straps down to her shoulders. His lips met her shoulder and he worked his way to her neck. His tongue tasted her as he went, and his teeth nibbled at her skin. Her breath caught in her throat as every nerve of her body lit on fire. Her head was spinning as the heat from his chest pressed against her own. She leaned into it eagerly and grabbed the waistband of his pants with both hands.

Her hands were steady as she pulled the belt from his pants. His erection pressed against the black fabric and she grazed her hand against it. The space between her thighs was flooded with heat. A drop dead gorgeous man wanted to have sex with her and she wasn’t about to waste the opportunity. As she popped open the button of his pants, Kaiba unhooked her bra and tossed it aside.

His hand was hot as he cupped her breast. She let out a small gasp and pressed her mouth into his chest as his thumb slid over her nipple. She unzipped his fly, perhaps a little too eagerly, and ran her hand over the length of him. His only response was to push her against the door.

She looked at him, startled. His mouth was open, his lips wet from kissing her neck. The look in his eyes could have brought her to her knees. With a single step forward he had her back pressed to the door.

He nudged her feet apart with his foot. Reina’s stomach flipped nervously as he pulled up her skirt and pressed his hand against her underwear. The fabric was already wet with her desire and she flushed as he rubbed her through the fabric.

His voice was low and ragged, “That didn’t take much. We’re just getting started.”

Reina took in a shaky breath. “I still have to file that paperwork before midnight.”

Kaiba let out a low chuckle. “Sure, whatever you say.”

He pulled his hand away and Reina almost cried out in protest. Instead he moved his hands to the zipper of her skirt and pressed his erection against her as he unzipped it. She held back a moan as he cupped her ass and held her tight against the length of him.

Her hands slid up his chest and squeezed his shoulders. Not making a sound was going to be harder than she thought.

Kaiba pushed the skirt away and her underwear with it. “Take off your shoes.”

She slipped them off quickly. He slid his hands down her ass slowly. Then he bent his knees and his hands grabbed the backs of her thighs. She swung her legs around his hips instinctively as he picked her up. His hands held her against him and he carried her the five feet to the couch before tossing her down.

Reina let out a little gasp of surprise as she fell onto the couch. She sat up as Kaiba was slipping out of his pants and shoes. He stood before her as he pulled off his socks and tossed them aside. His cock bulged against his boxers and Reina stared up at him as she got up the nerve. She slid her hands over his waist before slipping her thumbs over his hip bones and under the waistband.

She slid the boxers down and the hard length of him was finally revealed. An ache had firmly settled between her legs, but she wasn’t about to beg just yet. She pulled her gaze back to his eyes as she took his head into her mouth.

She wasn’t the only one who was already wet. She licked the tip of his cock as she held his head in her mouth. He let out a hiss of breath and grabbed the back of her head, his fingers tangling through her hair.

It had been a while since Reina had been in this position, so she took it slow. She grabbed his ass and pulled him to her, letting his cock fill her mouth as deep as she dared. His mouth hung open as he breathed deeply. He even gritted his teeth before tearing his eyes away from hers and looking at the ceiling. She moved ever so slowly over the length of him, working her tongue around him when she could manage it.

He firmly pulled her head away from him. She was left staring up at him with her mouth still open and a thin string of spit spanning the distance from his cock to her mouth. She wiped it away self consciously.

Kaiba growled. “Did you bring a condom?”

“Uh…no.” Reina didn’t carry them with her, it’s not like she was hooking up with men in the office all day.

He stalked away from her and went back to his desk. The sound of a drawer being opened roughly caught her attention. She smirked to herself. She was grateful she didn’t actually need those glasses to see the expression on his face. She was pretty sure she had succeeded in making Seto Kaiba hot and bothered.

Her triumph was short-lived as Kaiba returned. His cock now safely adorned, he shoved her down onto the couch and spread her legs open. She barely had time to clamp her hand over her mouth as he settled between her legs and shoved his cock into her.

The sight of him biting his own lip as he sank into her was enough to make her gasp for air through her hand. She barely caught it as he whispered, “ _ Fuck _ .” 

Though she was wet, she was tight. It had been so long. There was just a moment of pain as her body adjusted to the size of him. It certainly didn’t take long. She arched her back as he began to thrust into her. He braced himself on one elbow and grabbed her leg with his other hand. He paused as he adjusted her leg over his shoulder.

She looked at him with wide eyes and he plunged deeper. She whimpered and quickly pinched her lips shut in panic. The thickness of him as he filled her was enough for her to consider breaking Rule 2. Waves of pleasure crashed into her and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. The last thing she needed was him to end quite possibly the best sex of her life.

The light of the room still caught the blue of his eyes, and he stared at her with new intensity as she squirmed underneath him. She raised herself up on her elbows and worked her hips into his. Their hips met in an easy rhythm until Reina could feel herself losing control.

Kaiba sucked in a breath as she shuddered. Her body tensed as one agonizing crest of ecstasy wracked her body. Her legs tensed around him and she choked back a cry of pleasure as he picked up the pace. The movement of her body became desperate as he pounded into her. Though the orgasm had passed, her body still spiked with pleasure as he drove himself into her. 

Then with one grunt and gasp of air, he came. His thrusts slowed and then stopped. He hovered over her, their eyes still locked inexplicably as they gathered their breath and came back to themselves. 

Sweat had broken out across his shoulders and back. Reina found herself reaching to brush away a sweat soaked piece of hair that clung to his temple. Her touch seemed to jerk him away and he pulled out. His sudden absence left her with a shaky feeling that she couldn’t explain.

He stood and walked to one of the paneled walls. She didn’t even see him open anything, but the wall slid aside and revealed a full closet. He pulled a fresh pair of underwear from a drawer and then stepped over to another panel. It opened before him and he disappeared. Reina heard running water and then a moment later Kaiba returned, now covered by a fresh pair of boxers.

He looked at her briefly before walking to his discarded pants. “You can clean up in there.”

Reina stood up, feeling suddenly cold. Her body was weak and satiated, yet she couldn’t explain the sudden loss she felt. She had known this would be a one night stand. Did she really think that anything would change over a single bout of great sex?

She slipped into the bathroom. Again low lighting illuminated the room. One wall was made up of the same windows as Kaiba’s office. A giant walk in shower took up the opposite wall. Somehow they had also managed to fit in a soaking tub. Reina quickly used the toilet and wiped herself. She hardly recognized herself in the mirror above the sink as she washed her hands.

Her hair was wild. A self satisfied smile clung to the corner of her mouth. She stood a little straighter. She could do this. She could have a one night stand with her boss. This was not a big deal.

She came out of the bathroom and Kaiba was already dressed and back behind his desk. He had piled her clothes onto one of the chairs and she got dressed. She checked her watch. Fifteen minutes to spare. They had made quick work of it after all.

She slipped on her shoes and put her hair back up with her clip. It felt silly, but still she slipped the fake glasses back onto her face. She gathered up the folders and approached Kaiba’s desk. Somehow she was going back to the business at hand. Even if this was going to blow up her face, she wasn’t fired yet. She still had a job to do.

Kaiba looked away from his computer as she stood in front of him. He stood up and handed her something over the desk.

“You can tell Marie I want to see you regularly. I’ll negotiate your salary with her next week. I expect you to be on time in the future, understand?”

Reina looked at the money in her hand dumbly. It was a wad of 10,000 Yen notes. A weight suddenly pressed down on her head as she finally put it together. Of course. Kaiba didn’t know who she was, how could he? Her stomach sank as she admitted it to herself, her mouth still gaping open in disbelief.

_ He thinks I’m a prostitute! _


	2. Chapter 2

Kaiba handed her the money over the table. A strand of her black hair fell across her forehead as she tilted her head down to look at the money in her hand. Her brow wrinkled.  _ Great, she's going to ask for more. _

His next thought was more kind.  _ Or she just doesn’t know what she’s doing _ .

All evidence pointed to the latter. The whole experience with her had been confusing from the beginning. It certainly seemed like she had no idea what to do. Except for when they got down to it, then she had known  _ exactly  _ what to do.

His gaze dropped to the line of cleavage that was revealed by her now buttonless shirt. Maybe he should have given her more for destroying her clothes, but he wasn't about to change his mind. If you gave a girl like that an inch she would start making demands. No matter how good the sex was, he wasn't going to cow to a sex worker.

His phone vibrated on the desk and he picked it up. "Excuse me." He answered the call.

"Mr. Kaiba!" It was Marie. He recognized the deep rhythm of her voice immediately. Though Marie was an excellent looking drag queen, she didn’t disguise her baritone voice. 

"Marie. How are you?" Kaiba raised his eyebrow at the woman across from him. He realized suddenly that he had never asked for her name. Marie was more likely to be surprised that he was going to request the woman a second time than his failure to learn her name.

"How am I?" Marie asked. "Mr. Kaiba, I am sick. Just  _ sick _ with worry. My girl just called to tell me that her train broke down and she was unable to make it. She waited a full hour before letting me know! I can't believe the irresponsibility of these girls nowadays. You must be furious with me."

Kaiba's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at the woman before him. She held the folder in one hand and the money in the other. Now she stared at him, a faint blush beginning to color her cheeks. It made her freckles stand out even more. He realized she could hear his conversation and he turned away from her.

"Mr. Kaiba?" Marie said in a panic after his long silence.

"What do you mean?" A blooming sense of dread was starting to grow in Kaiba's stomach.

"The girl you ordered? She never came. She was due at 10 but she never made it…"

The dread blossomed into outright anxiety. He did his best to conceal it from the woman before him. Everything was finally clicking into place. The cheap suit, the folders, her hesitation, even her general naivete.  _ Fuck. Motherfucker. This is not good. _

"Mr. Kaiba?" Marie asked. "Is everything alright? Are we good?"

"Of course, Marie. I just got caught up in my work. I didn't realize the time."

Marie laughed. "Oh! Well, honey, then you better not be upset with me. You know I'll make it up to you, right?"

"I know. Good night, Marie."

Kaiba hung up the call and pressed the phone to his chin. His mind raced as he tried to think of the best way to fix this. Damage control was the priority. He turned around.

He said carefully, "It would seem we've had a misunderstanding."

Her voice was calm. "Misunderstanding is not necessarily the word I would have used, but yes, I suppose we have."

The woman handed the money back to him. He shoved it into his pants pocket. He set his phone down and leaned against the desk. She did not look angry, not yet at least. He had to make sure he kept it that way.

She said, "You thought I was a hooker."

"The correct term is 'sex worker'."

She snorted. "Yes, I suppose you're right."

Kaiba looked at her. "Are you enjoying this?"

She suppressed a smile. "More than I thought I would."

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

She gave him a hard look and slapped the folder down on his desk. "I'm Reina Ito from Legal and I need you to sign these so I can file them by midnight."

He stared at her.  _ Fuck. It was almost funny. Almost. _ "And what, you just came up here and thought, 'Why not have sex while I'm at it?'" He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.

She tensed. "Are you seriously trying to shame me after you called a sex worker to your place of business? A sex worker that you threatened if she dared tell anyone that she met with you?"

He pressed his hands into the desktop. How was it that just a few minutes ago he was having a surprising bout of good sex? Now look where he was at. He would never learn his lesson when it came to women.

He growled, "Need I remind you that you gave me your consent?"

"Need I remind  _ you _ that I cannot legally give my consent to a supervisor, as outlined in the code of conduct of  _ your _ company."

"A direct supervisor is what it specifically states."

"The company has been perfectly clear of it’s opinion of company romances when the relationship exists between a subordinate and an executive.”

“If you work in the legal department then I’m sure aware of the importance of distinction. There is no policy in  _ writing _ that forbids sexual relationships between two consenting employees as long as they work in different departments.”

Her mouth was set in a firm line and she breathed deeply, making her nostrils flare. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’d really love to continue this delightful repartee, but just sign the damn papers so I can get on with my night.”

Kaiba was struck by the dark glint in her eyes. She was furious.  _ What did she honestly think? That I was hooking up with her because I knew her? _ He tore his gaze away from hers and tried not to think about the way she had locked eyes with him as she came. There was no throwing her head back and wailing like other women had done before. She had followed his every rule, and still had somehow made him question every little quirk he had. It pissed him off.

He roughly grabbed a pen and signed the spaces marked with carefully placed red flags. The nib of the pen bit into the paper and he backed off. He didn’t need her seeing how ruffled he was. God only knew what she was going to cost him.

He signed the last page. She pulled the folder back from him and snapped it shut.

“Thank you,” she said. She turned on her heel and walked to the door.

He moved before he really understood what he was doing. As her fingers closed around the handle, he pressed his hand against the door. She looked over her shoulder at him with her eyes narrowed as he leaned over her.

Her sudden nearness made him take another breath and he caught the scent of hair once more. This time it was tinged with the sweat that had moments ago clung to her neck. Despite every instinct he said, “I suppose you didn’t consent to that orgasm, either?”

She visibly bristled. Her jaw tensed and her hand tightened against the door handle as if she might rip it from the door. “Like I said, I have to get these submitted by midnight. So unless you want to tell my supervisor  _ why _ I didn’t get them done, I suggest you step aside.”

She stared him down for a heartbeat. He could feel the blood in his veins pump faster. He pulled his hand off the door and took a step back. She didn’t hesitate another moment before opening the door and walking out the door.

He closed the door and leaned against it. He wiped the hair from his forehead roughly and then pounded a tight fist against the door.  _ Fuck _ .

He turned off the lights and moved away from the door. He began to pace a line from one end of the room to the other. The city lights below his windows were the only pinpricks of light. He fumed.

Why did everything in his life need to go sideways? He had come a long way since his youth, but still all his old anger bubbled up to the surface. It was like a tidal wave. He could feel the tremors and yet he refused to move to higher ground.

_ “I suppose you didn’t consent to that orgasm, either?” _

He groaned out loud. He stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep himself from throwing a chair. She would ruin him now. He was done for. He could see the scandal now, the shares plummeting until he was ousted from the company.

He let out a bitter laugh. What a way to solve all his problems! He could imagine his conversation with his brother,  _ Hey, Mokuba! Remember when I got really drunk at New Years and said I didn’t want to be President anymore? I found a way out! _

He rubbed a hand across his eyes. He could not let this company be dismantled because of one stupid misunderstanding. Not after the time and sacrifices he had made. All he had ever wanted was to build this company. Even when he was in school, it was all he ever wanted. Another check mark to be the best he could be. Bachelor’s completed in record time, MBA finished even faster. All while running the corporation and opening the school.

And for what? So some random woman from Legal could get him on a technicality?

He sat with a thud onto a chair. Across from him was the sofa that just moments ago he had splayed her, Reina, out on. His cock stirred at the memory. Then just as quickly a bile of shame flooded his mouth.

He had been so sure that she had wanted him. Despite being a sex worker, he had looked at her, felt her in his arms and the way she responded to him was like…

It was like she had been waiting for him.

He had taken off her glasses and seen her. The freckles on her cheeks and the way she had subconsciously licked her lips. It was like she had been hiding. With just the removal of some clothes she was suddenly herself. He wasn’t some dumb fool who thought that this one encounter had been the best sex of his life, but still, the thought had occurred to him.

He closed his eyes and remembered the way she had lain beneath him, her body searching for something in him that he still didn’t understand. For just a second, he hadn’t felt lonely. The way she had looked at him. And yet a single touch of her fingers to his face had snapped him back to reality. 

It was just sex, nothing more.

But now, it wasn’t even that. That was all changed. He realized that he couldn’t trust his own judgement. She had accused him of forcing her and he had laughed in her face. There was a part of him that still wanted to believe that she had been willing, but he couldn’t take that chance. He needed to find her and make it right. Even if there was just a chance, he would do whatever she asked to make amends.

He got up and went to his computer to search for her personnel file. He needed to know as much as he could before he went to her. He would be careful, he would not be taken advantage of. It could have been a ploy to get him in exactly this situation. He would figure out who he was dealing with, even if it took him all night. 

And what was just another sleepless night in his life?

***

The next morning, Kaiba stood outside the door to her apartment building and took a calming breath. He had done his research and he was glad of it. He had never heard of this neighborhood when he learned her address, but a quick search of the area had revealed a median income far below his own.

He was dressed in joggers and a sweatshirt. It was an outfit he felt sorely out of place in, but Mokuba had gifted these to him several birthdays ago so he would get out of the “work mindset”. Mokuba probably had not pictured the occasion when his brother would actually wear them.

Kaiba had dressed down, taking care to keep his gaze down as he walked. He had even taken the train and bought a pair of cheap sunglasses at the station to prevent anyone from recognizing him. His only hope was that people would see his designer sweats and assume they were fakes.

The door to her building opened and a middle-aged woman stepped out. He moved up the stairs and caught the door before it closed.

“Hey, what do you want?” she asked.

Kaiba looked at her, his mouth grim as the woman stared at him. She pulled out a cigarette and eyed him suspiciously.

He lied easily, “I’m here to see Keo.”

The woman let out a hiss and cussed under breath. She mumbled, “That Keo, thinking he a gangster or something…” She was already turning away from him as he kept on walking into the building.

Kaiba had done his research. Keo, a tenant on the first floor, had a string of trouble with the police and was probably dealing drugs. But he always paid his rent on time. It was reasonable to assume that Keo had lots of visitors, but the tenants knew it was pointless to complain. Landlords in this neighborhood didn’t care about your business, they just cared about getting their money.

Kaiba bounded up the stairs to the third floor. Despite his regular gym schedule, he was out of breath when he stopped on the landing. He had slept for about three hours before waking up to take care of this. He could feel the bags under his eyes and the sleep pulling at the corners of his eyes. He just needed to get this settled, then he could think about some rest.

He knocked roughly on her door and turned his head to the side so she wouldn’t be able to see his features through the door’s peephole. It took a moment before he heard a reply. It was early for a Saturday, but he had wanted to make sure he caught her at home.

Finally a groggy voice called, “Who is it?”

He mumbled his voice with his hand and coughed, “It’s Takashi, I locked myself out again.”

Another bit of research. Takashi Kobayashi, who had no privacy settings on his social media, thanked Reina at least once a month for being the holder of his spare apartment key.

She sighed behind the door, but then the scrape of the bolt sounded through the quiet hall. She did not hide her irritation as she opened the door. “You’ve got to stop drinking so much…”

Kaiba slipped past her before she had a chance to react. He closed the door and leaned against it before stopping to take off his sunglasses. He tucked them into his pocket and caught his breath. He had made it.

Reina’s hair was loose, still uncombed from a night of sleep. She was bundled in a thick bathrobe that had seen better days. Her face displayed a remarkable range of emotions as she looked at him, first surprise, then fear, then a white hot anger.

Kaiba looked at the hollow of her throat as she swallowed. It was such a shame he would never be able to taste her skin again. There had been so much more he had wanted to do with her.

She hissed at him, “What the hell are you doing here?”

He leaned languidly against the door. “We need to discuss last night.”

She snorted. “Oh, really? You can refer all your questions to my lawyer.”

“If that's what you really want, then okay. But hear me out first.”

Her eyebrow quirked at him and the tension in her shoulders lessened. She looked him up and down before turning away. She muttered under her breath, “I need coffee.”

She walked the two steps to the kitchen and put a kettle on the stove. Kaiba slipped off his shoes and stepped out of the entry. He hunched his shoulders, worried he would hit his head on the ceiling.

It was a shabby little place. Despite her attempts to make it comfortable, no throw pillow or hanging plant could distract from the discolored paint or the water-stained corner. He made a mental note to revisit the company’s pay tables when all this was done.

Reina leaned against the two feet of the kitchen counter and stared at him. She asked brusquely, “So what’s your grand plan? Buy me off? What number did you arrive at while you were weighing the pros and cons?”

Kaiba’s stomach flipped. This woman was  _ hard _ . After seeing where she lived, he was starting to understand why. But he had also seen another side of her. One far more vulnerable than she was putting on now.

Kaiba said, “Name your price.”

She snorted in disbelief. She looked at him and waited. After a moment she said, “You’re serious.”

Kaiba shrugged his shoulders. “I can name a number if you want, but I’d rather hear what you want.”

The kettle started to scream and she jumped. She turned off the burner with a snap. “Do you want coffee?”

Kaiba suppressed a smirk. “Only if it’s not instant.”

She ignored him and measured ground coffee into a french press. The coffee was a brand he recognized. It was from an upscale cafe not far from the office.

“Good to know you’re not spending all of your money on this place.” God, what was the matter with him? Did he want her to press charges?

“That number is creeping up the more you open your mouth.”

She handed him a mug decorated with a picture of a cartoon dog and cat embracing. Pink hearts floated around their heads. He quirked an eyebrow at it.

“Milk?” She asked, pouring a generous amount into her own cup.

“No.” He took a cautious sip. It was good. The heat flooded his system and he could practically feel the caffeine hitting his bloodstream. He took a deeper drink.

Reina took her cup and sat on her bed. She tucked her legs up next to her. She eyed him over the rim of her cup as she sipped at the coffee.

Kaiba sat himself down on the single chair in the apartment. It wobbled precariously as he stretched out his long legs.

Reina took a deep breath. “So, you’re seriously telling me I can name my price?”

“Within reason, I suppose.”

“Reason being…?”

“I’d rather not have to jump off a bridge, for example.”

She laughed. “No, that wouldn’t be mutually beneficial, would it?”

“Mutually beneficial?”

She looked at him. “At worst, you’re here to keep yourself out of a messy, public scandal, at best, you’re trying to ease your own conscience.”

He leaned forward, “What if I was actually sorry?”

She gave him a sardonic smile. “We both know that’s not true.”

“I could be.”

She took another sip of her coffee. “Here’s what I’m thinking. A one-time pay off isn’t really the best way to go, is it?”

His chest tightened. Was she really going to blackmail him? His face darkened and he tightened his grip around the bright ceramic mug.

“What I want is a job.”

He almost dropped the cup. “What?”

“I’ve been working for peanuts for two years. Give me a job and after I’ve proved that I know my stuff, I’ll move onto another company and I’ll be out of your hair. What do you think?”

He looked at her. It was hard to argue with the logic, except for one or two major problems. “Why wouldn’t you just want the money?”

She frowned. “Because I want a chance. Whatever money you’re willing to give me won’t do anything for me in the long run. Maybe I could get a nicer place or some  _ new shirts _ but it wouldn’t change anything. I’d still be a legal assistant scraping by.” 

“What would you even be qualified for?”

“You read my file, I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

He felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He had read her file. Despite overall positive performance reviews and stellar applications she had been passed up for promotions a few times now. He supposed there was a chance that she could handle a management position of some kind. He was already running through the pros and cons through his head.

He leaned back in the chair. “And how do I explain to the board that I’m just giving you a job?”

“That ones easy. Good, old fashioned nepotism.”

“Nepotism…?” He took a deep drink of his coffee.

She smiled at him. “Seto Kaiba, you just landed yourself a girlfriend.”


	3. Chapter 3

Kaiba swallowed his coffee. Reina could hear the gulp from across the room. She just smiled at her own brashness. What more did she have to lose? She had already thrown herself at her boss in his office. Might as well get a little something out of it.

She let it sink in for a moment before continuing. "Here's the way I see it. If you promote me suddenly, your board is going to want a reason. They're going to be looking for a scandal. So give them a scandal right off the bat. 

"We're dating on the sly and things are getting serious so you want to go public. No one will judge you for making me an account manager or whatever. Half the men in those positions are total knobs anyways."

She smiled in an attempt to give herself more confidence than she actually felt. The way he was looking at her with his cold blue eyes was really unnerving. If he wanted to turn on the charm he could really melt a girl with piercing blue eyes like that. Instead she just reached for her coffee and took a deep sip. The coffee and milk soothed her suddenly tight throat. 

She had spent half the night thinking this through. She even reviewed the employee handbook and company code of conduct when the first crazy thought had entered her mind. How could she make this work to her advantage? And there was just another slightly more disastrous point she was going to make in her favor.

She tugged at a piece of her hair and took another sip from the hot mug in her hand.

"There's another matter to discuss as well. And I think my proposal covers that as well. Marie."

Kaiba asked, "What do you know of Marie?"

"To be honest? Not much. But I'm going to take a guess and you tell me if I'm right. Marie’s services haven’t been going as well as you thought they would."

Kaiba remained silent.

Reina steeled herself. "I’ve been thinking about what you said. About Marie getting closer to what you wanted…” Her words came out in a rush. “Here's the thing, as the plan sits now, there's still no guarantee for you. This could all go sideways. However, if we carry on as a real couple with a sexual relationship it's not likely that I would be able to claim you were taking advantage of me."

Reina waited to see how he would react. He took a thoughtful sip from his coffee and leaned back a little farther in the chair. Reina watched the legs and hoped they were sturdy enough to bear his weight. She wondered what he would say if he knew she had lifted it out of a dumpster behind one of the restaurants down the back alley.

She was unprepared for him to speak. She flinched as his deep voice crept down her spine and settled into the pit of her stomach.

He said, "Am I to understand that you want to continue having sex with me in addition to becoming my girlfriend and receiving a promotion?"

"Well, I can't very well have my boyfriend going around hooking up with random women or using sex workers. What would people think?"

"This is a ludicrous idea."

"We could always go to court if you'd rather."

His hand visibly flinched against the cup. Reina was sure she was about to see it smashed to pieces across the floor. Instead Kaiba just took another drink.

"There's no way this works out."

"I think it can, if we set some boundaries."

"Like what?"

She grinned. "I've decided on three rules."

The irony was not lost on him. A flash sparked in his eyes and some of the tension seemed to leave his shoulders as he relaxed back into the chair. "Go on."

"Number One. Every Friday I will be at your disposal from five in the evening until midnight."

"Just until midnight?"

"I thought it was poetic. Remind us of how we got in this mess."

There was another glimmer of a smile and Reina shifted her legs. Why did she have to be wearing this ratty bathrobe? She had planned to spruce herself up a bit before plotting out this hairbrained scheme.

"Rule Two. No photographs on social media. I don't need paparazzi finding out where I live or people blasting my name over tabloids."

"Sound." 

"And the last rule is, of course, you cannot tell anyone that this is all fake. Not even your brother." 

Kaiba tensed once more. "What's my brother got to do with this?"

"The fewer people that know the more likely we both get out of this unscathed."

"You mean the more likely  _ you _ get out of this. I still fail to see the benefit for myself."

She stared at him. "You said you wanted to make this right. This is what I want, and if you truly do feel sorry then you'll agree to it." She added as an afterthought suddenly blushing, "We don't have to continue having sex, if you don't want to."

"I think we both know that's not the issue."

Reina's stomach fluttered. Maybe she had gotten a few things right, after all. The sex had not been all in her head, she was sure that she had gotten under his skin as much as he had gotten under hers.

“Do I get rules?” Kaiba asked.

She shrugged one shoulder. “I suppose.”

“My last rule is kind of out the window if I have to tell the board of directors, but I’d prefer my others to remain.”

“If you insist.” She felt the corner of her mouth turning down and she hid it behind a drink of coffee. _What did this guy have against kissing?_ _Or vocalizing during sex?_

“And we should commit to an end date...and we should have this in writing.”

“You want me to sign an NDA?” she asked. 

“Yes, that would be best.”

“Agreed.” She nodded.

He gazed at her as he took a long drink. He looked away as he drained the last of the coffee from his cup. “You’re truly serious about this? This is what you want?”

“Yes.” She smirked, taking a little pleasure from the dark circles under his eyes. “You can go to sleep guilt free now. There will be no scandal, no black mark on your record. I won’t be responsible for a nail in your coffin.”

“That remains to be seen.” He rubbed his eyes and then pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. “We should both be screened for STDs. And birth control.”

“You want to use condoms?”

“I  _ don’t _ want to use condoms. Are you opposed to using an alternate method?”

“I already have an IUD.”

He gave her a pointed look. “You won’t mind if my doctor confirms that?”

She swallowed her angry retort. It was a fair response, she supposed. Though it was cruel of him to think she would try to bring a child into this situation. Little did he know, that was the farthest from what she wanted to deal with right now. “Not at all.”

“And you will be at my  _ disposal _ , as you say, for seven hours every Friday evening. Are you really prepared to make such a commitment?”

Reina schooled her features. She hadn’t considered that he would be into anything...kinky. God, was he one of those BDSM Billionaires that were running around everywhere? “If you were clear about what would happen and gave me the opportunity to say no, I suppose I would be willing to try almost anything.” She wasn’t sure if that was true, but she wasn’t exactly sure what he had in mind and whether it would be a deal breaker.

He gave a grim little smile. “For the record, my tastes lean more towards vanilla sex. But I enjoyed seeing how quickly your mind processed the idea.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. A small part of her thought she wouldn’t mind whatever he wanted to do with her. She hid her flush behind another sip of coffee.

He clarified. “Conversely, the only time I would be obligated to spend time with you would be Friday nights? You wouldn’t suddenly decide that I, as your ‘boyfriend’ needed to take you shopping or out to dinner.”

“Correct, in fact, I would insist that we rarely appear publicly together. If at all.”

His eyebrow quirked, his surprise evident. “You don’t want your 15 minutes of fame?”

“Remember rule number two: no photographs. No social media.”

He actually laughed. “A most convenient girlfriend.”

“That’s the idea.” 

“So a new job. And sex.” He tapped his finger against the cup. “I’m not sure how this is a punishment.”

Guilt crept into her stomach, but she wasn’t about to lay all of her cards out on the table. “This is what I want.” 

“For the end date...the Spring Gala in April. It’ll give you two solid months to prove that you can do the job. The gala is a private event, there won’t be photographers. We’ll make an appearance, you can network to your heart's content, and then we’ll have an amicable break up the following weekend.”

She took a deep breath. 10 weeks. It wasn’t much, but it was much more than she thought he would agree to. She couldn’t believe her luck, well, at least not until it was in writing.

He muttered, “You have a deal.”

Reina sat up a little straighter from her position on the bed, nearly spilling her coffee in the process. “Really?”

He stood up, stretching to his full height in her tiny apartment. He loomed over her, his hand extended. “Yes, I agree to your terms. I’ll have my personal lawyer draw up the documents.”

Reina took his hand, a shiver climbing up through her fingers at the surprising warmth of him. She was actually looking forward to this...at least until the next Friday night. His face was stone as he looked at her, but his eye visibly twitched as he held her gaze.

He dropped her hand. “I’ll messenger over the papers, take as much time to review them as you like. I will have to call a few people before I can arrange your promotion.”

“Understandable.” She folded her hand around her coffee cup, her fingers suddenly cold.

He turned and set his cup down on the empty seat of the chair. “Very well, I will see you at work on Monday.” He dug a card out of his back pocket and handed it to her. “That has my private number on it, feel free to contact me if you have questions. Or if you change your mind.”

He paused, he touched his hand to his hair but pulled his hand back suddenly and shoved it into his pocket. “I’m serious, if you change your mind at any time, about any part of this, you just need to say.”

She couldn’t read the look in his eyes, but it made her throat tighten suddenly. She forced a swallow and gave him a flippant smile, “Now don’t go and make me think you’re a nice guy, I’d much rather carry on thinking you’re nothing more than your average heartless billionaire.”

There was a flash of something in his eyes, and then it was gone so quickly she was sure she had imagined it. He gave her a cold smirk, “There’s no danger of that, I assure you. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Wait,” she said. The urgency of her voice surprised her, the word escaping before she really knew why she didn’t want him to go. He looked at her expectantly and she thought fast. “What’s your third rule going to be?”

He rubbed his chin. “That needs a little more thought, but I’ll make sure you know before we sign off.”

He showed himself out, the door closing lightly behind him. Reina looked at the closed door, lost in thought as she stared at the white painted door. She was certain that just for a moment, he had looked hurt, sad even. But it was so quickly hidden behind that grimace, she must have imagined it.

She shook her head. No, it was far more likely that he was irritated with her. She didn’t need to imagine any more problems for herself than she already had. She had made them complicated enough. 

Nevermind that she had just made a quid pro quo arrangement with the head of Kaiba Corp and heir of the company’s namesake. The girlfriend-boyfriend label was a thin enough guise, but the company had its fair share of scandals before. Promoting a girlfriend and disclosing their relationship wasn’t much of an issue considering many years ago a certain Board of Directors had tried to have Kaiba murdered.

Reina wasn’t sure she really believed that story but it was a good one all the same. Better than her own sordid past, which belied belief. 

She set her empty cup down next to Kaiba’s and wandered over to the cheap mirror on the wall. She pulled one arm out of the bathrobe, cold air touching her shoulder as she turned her back to the mirror. 

The white inked scales of her tattoo creeped up her shoulder and made her frown. She was teetering precariously here. She wouldn’t be able to hide this from him. She sighed and shrugged back into her ratty bathrobe.

A loud bang on the opposite wall made her jump. The neighbors began their daily shouting match. Another late night of drinking that turned into a morning of regrets. Reina sighed deeply before grabbing the broom and hitting the wall back.

The arguing couple cursed at her for a moment before lowering their voices. No one actually wanted the Super called on them, especially when their apartment still bore the brunt of the previous night. 

Reina sat with a thud on her hard mattress. Freedom had a cost, she had always known that. If she had to make the decision all over again, she still would have found her way here, to this mediocre life. You didn’t always get a second choice, but this was hers. She would get a leg up, prove her worth, and get as far away from Domino City as possible. 


	4. Chapter 4

Kaiba felt sure that he would regret his arrangement with Reina sooner rather than later. He must be completely mad to think this wouldn't blow up in his face.

And yet things had gone much smoother than expected. His personal lawyer was the only person who knew the true arrangement between Reina and himself. When he fed the board his carefully rehearsed statements about being in a relationship, the board wasn’t that concerned. She had already signed the NDA by that point, so any reservations that she would cause a scandal had already been assuaged. They hadn't even blinked when he had asked if there was a better position for her in the company. It wasn't long before he discovered why.

It would seem he had two board members with spouses that worked at the company already. And he hadn't even known. They had gone through the proper channels, including Legal, of course, but it was yet another example of him knowing nothing about the personal lives of his staff. That was the way he preferred it. He had much more to worry about than who was dating whom. 

Ken Watanabe had been selected as Reina’s guide for her new role. Watanabe had been a mentor with the company for a long time, transitioning easily from his role during the company's original business of military development through the new leadership of Seto Kaiba. 

Though Kaiba did not often work directly with the man, he called him now to get a grasp on whether Reina was truly up to the task of performing at the same level of the fellow account executives.

Kaiba stood at his desk, the top button of his white dress shirt undone as he waited for Watanabe to come give him his daily report. His suit jacket was draped over the back of his chair. Kaiba tucked one hand into his pocket while he scrolled through his emails. The sun had long since set. There wasn't much snow on the ground, but the night still had the cold gleam of cloudless winter night.

A soft knock rapped once against the office door.

"Enter," Kaiba said.

Watanabe entered, shutting the door behind him. He walked to Kaiba's desk and gave him an efficient bow before pulling out the tablet he had tucked under his arm. Though the man was twice Kaiba’s age, he never betrayed an ounce of disdain during their little meetings. Rather, he made quick work of them and Kaiba rather liked him.

“Good evening, sir. Ms. Ito met with the account manager from Kurtzpfahl today and she handled herself quite well. I’m afraid there is still tension between her and one of the other managers in her department, Marco Masuda, and, unfortunately, her assistant. Masuda’s behavior never quite crosses the line, but Ms. Ito has been holding her own. I believe the Kurtzpfahl people were pleased with her presentation despite Masuda’s attempts to undermine her authority."

Kaiba could feel his hackles raise. After the first time Watanabe mentioned Masuda’s behavior, he found himself looking up the man's personnel file. The man had worked in Legal with Reina for a time, and there was nothing to indicate that they had had previous conflict. 

On paper he was a rather unremarkable specimen who evidently had interviewed well. Kaiba saw no reason why his application had stood out from the rest. He had compared Reina’s answers to Masuda's and had felt that Reina had truly responded with better ideas. When it came to their qualifications, however, he was surprised to discover that Reina didn't have a degree.

She had a few certifications, and was certainly qualified to do her previous position. But most, if not all of his managers, had been to university. He had dug even farther to look at her high-school test scores. Again, perfectly average grades, and certainly enough to get into business school. But she went into the workforce right away. And a year after graduating high school she enrolled in a trade school to get her legal assistant certifications.

Kaiba tapped his finger once on the desktop. It confounded him further. And though on one level he understood why Masuda had been promoted over her, he didn't understand why now the man felt the need to condescend and undermine her.

He pushed the thought away. There was no reason that he should worry about Reina’s interpersonal skills as long as they didn’t interfere with the company. He had no right to question this Masuda, yet. It could land him in trouble with Human Resources. And yet he couldn't explain the red haze of anger that he felt when Watanabe mentioned his name.

Instead Kaiba asked, "And the assistant?"

“It's too soon to tell, sir. It is clear that she has no regard for Ms. Ito and yet she has done nothing to be insubordinate. She is certainly not as warm with Ms. Ito as she is with some of the other staff on that floor.”

"And you're satisfied with her progress so far?

"Yes, sir."

The man hesitated just a moment and Kaiba said, "Speak freely if you have a concern. As I said before, this is off the record."

"I am more than happy to continue being a mentor for Ms. Ito, but I do feel that if I continue to observe her as I have done this past week, some of her peers will decide that she is not prepared for the role. I know you recommended two weeks but I feel that it would be best if tomorrow was my last day of training with her.” 

Kaiba glanced at the date on his computer. Was it truly Thursday already? His fingers curled, a fist forming against the desktop. That meant that tomorrow was Friday. God, he couldn't think about tomorrow night right now.

He turned his full attention back to Watanabe. "Very well. You may check on Ms. Ito when you feel it is  appropriate. Otherwise feel free to assist her if she reaches out to you.”

Watanabe nodded his head. "Very good, sir. Do you need anything else this evening?”

"No, thank you. Have a good night and thank you for your diligence, and discretion.”

“Of course, Mr. Kaiba." Watanabe bowed his head once more and took his leave. Kaiba sat down heavily as the door clicked shut.

Kaiba tabbed over to the file he had left open. Reina's staff photo from her very first day on the job stared at him from the computer screen. 

Her hair hung in her face. Thick black eyeglasses glinted in the camera flash and partially hid her eyes. Everything about the photo contradicted the few interactions he had had with her. He certainly would not have looked at the photo and thought they could have a night anywhere close to what they had shared  a week ago. It was even in contrast to the coy smile she had given her coffee cup the next day.

His fingers itched at the keyboard. His initial search hadn't turned up much, but he still got the distinct impression that she was hiding something. Everything about that single photo, her bland social media pages, and how she dressed at work was like a woman who didn't want to be seen.

He wasn't a sentimental person. He was not the kind of person to fall head over heels for someone else, especially after just a single night. But he couldn't deny that he was interested in her, more interested than he would have ever thought possible.

He knew so little about her. Any woman he had dated in the past was usually vetted carefully. Social climbers, fortune hunters, the usual type that his notoriety and wealth drew. At least on paper, Reina was perfectly average, yet here she was, somehow negotiating a deal with him for a bizarre and, yet somehow, intriguing, relationship.

And then there was the matter of the third rule. He had watched her face carefully when she read it in the contract. Her surprise was evident, but she didn’t raise any more attention to it. She merely initialed next to the line and they moved onto the next point. 

The door to his office flung open and Kaiba closed the tab reflexively. 

His brother walked in, slinging a backpack onto the couch. His black hair was still long, but he had shaved the sides and the long mass of hair was tied up in a top knot on his head.

Mokuba crossed his arms over his chest, his grey eyes flashing. "When were you going to tell me about your new girlfriend?"

Kaiba gave his younger brother an apprehensive smile. "What are you doing home? You should be at school."

"My classes are canceled tomorrow, so I thought I'd pay my big brother a visit."

"You came home last weekend. You should be spending time with your classmates."

Mokuba scoffed. "Yea, I get it! Go to parties, enjoy the dorm life…" He deepened his voice, mimicking Kaiba's flat tone, "I never got to have the full university experience, you should enjoy this opportunity."

"That's still true. I was understanding your first year, because it was a transition for both of us. But really, you should be spending time with your peers. There's no reason for you to rush home. I'm far too-"

"'Busy with work!'' he finished. "Yea, I get that too. But apparently not too busy to shack up with a paralegal and give her a promotion?" Mokuba was incredulous. He stalked over to one of the chairs in front of Kaiba's desk and flung himself into the soft leather. 

Kaiba felt his shoulders tense at the way Mokuba said "paralegal." There was no cause for it, yet Kaiba could feel his defenses rise. "How did you even hear about this?"

"Uh, duh. I'm a shareholder. It was in the meeting notes that were sent out on Wednesday."

_ Of course. Fuck. Who actually read the meeting minutes? _ "Is your objection because I didn't tell you or that she was a legal assistant?"

Mokuba caught the edge in Kaiba's voice. "I don't care who you date, bro. I care about  _ why _ . But you have to admit, this is not usual. Since when do you date within the company? Or do anything so blatantly nepotistic?"

"You and I are the definition of nepotism."

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "I'm not here to debate  _ that _ . I'm here because you normally tell me things and you have  _ never _ dated a coworker. How did you even meet?" 

Kaiba suppressed a smile. "She needed me to sign some documents."

"That's it?" Mokuba's eyes narrowed at him. "And what, you asked her out?"

"Something like that."

Mokuba gave him a measured look. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

Kaiba felt heat creeping up the back of his neck. He didn't exactly discuss his sex life with his little brother, even when Mokuba brought up his own experiences. That was the one aspect of college life he had embraced wholeheartedly. He had decided that Mokuba didn't need to know about his little experiment with the escort service, either. As far as Mokuba was concerned, Kaiba had been having a dry spell for the past year.

Mokuba read his gaze correctly and started laughing. "You didn't!" Mokuba suddenly leaped out of the chair, "Wait, not here?"

Kaiba schooled his features. "No, not  _ here _ ." The lie fell easily from his mouth. What his brother didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

He sat back down and the leather creaked under him. "And just like that...I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but she's not exactly your usual type. "

"You looked her up." 

"Again, duh. I Google all of your girlfriends." 

Kaiba was not surprised. He had always been notoriously cautious before dating anyone. It only took one murder attempt to make someone suspicious of everyone they knew. He hadn't realized that Mokuba had taken it upon himself to do a deep dive into her life as well. He was almost tempted to ask him what he had found. Kaiba didn't have the time to keep up to date on programming as he once did, and Mokuba was far more well versed on all of the back doors of the internet than he was.

But he refrained. If Reina was hiding something, he wanted to be the one to discover it.

A shadow crossed Mokuba's face as he assessed him, no doubt he was noting the bags under his eyes and the tension in his jaw. "Tell me this isn't anything I need to worry about."

A sudden weight dropped onto Kaiba's shoulders. He wanted to tell him everything. He felt an overwhelming desire to spill everything he had been holding back. His drunk confession at New Years had been easily brushed aside as they nursed their hangovers the next day. It would be so easy to say the words:  _ I need a break from the company.  _ But he couldn't do that, and he certainly couldn't tell Mokuba anything about him and Reina after signing the NDA.

Instead he said, "I'm trying something new."

Mokuba looked at him pointedly, clearly wanting to say something. He gave a subtle shake of his head and said lightly, "When do I get to meet her?"

"Not this weekend."

He sighed. "What, are you going to hide her? Afraid I'll steal her?" 

Kaiba suppressed a different kind of smile. "I'd like to see you try."

Mokuba gave him a surprised look. "I honestly don't know what to make of that. She really isn't like your other girlfriends, huh?"

"No, she certainly is not."

"Damn, so she won't be trying to suck up to me?"

"Not likely."

"And why not this weekend?"

He knew Mokuba wouldn't take work as an excuse. Instead he said, "It's too soon."

"Alright." Mokuba conceded. "And when will I see  _ you _ this weekend? I could bring you dinner tomorrow if you must work  _ all night. _ "

"No." Kaiba said roughly. He softened his voice after seeing Mokuba's hurt expression. He cleared his throat. "I'll be out with Reina tomorrow night." 

"Oh." Mokuba looked surprisingly pleased with this revelation. "Where are you going?"

Shit. All week he had been thinking about what he would  _ do  _ to her, but not about where. He really didn't want to do anything at the office, that would really draw attention to them. He would have taken her to his condo, but now Mokuba would be there. He was starting to panic under Mokuba's assessing gaze. Mokuba would expect him to say a restaurant. What he had in mind couldn't possibly be done in public.

"I'm taking her out on the yacht."

"The yacht? You hate the yacht."

"She's never been out on Domino Bay." He didn't know if that was true, but he felt like it was a safe guess. And it would solve his privacy issue.

"It's January, you'll be freezing." 

"It's not like we'll be on the deck."

"True." Mokuba said thoughtfully, "The yacht is pretty serious for a date, don't you think? How long have you been seeing her?"

"It's just a boat."

"Okay, sure. It's just a boat that costs about two trillion yen. Don't you think it's a little 'try hard' this early in the game?"

Kaiba gritted his teeth. "I suppose if she was another dumb heiress you would say the yacht wasn't enough."

"Whoa." Mokuba raised his hands. "Relax. That's not what I meant. I'm just trying to talk to you about your date."

Kaiba swallowed the lump in his throat. Why had he gotten so defensive again? He desperately needed to let out some steam. Maybe he would call it an early night, he could make it to the gym by ten and get in a good workout before midnight.

Mokuba said, "You really like this one, don't you?"

Kaiba's whole body went tight. What the hell could he say to that? That it wasn't a matter of liking so much as walking a tightrope between getting sued and getting laid. Either way it was wrapped up behind the NDA and the promise he had made to Reina. He didn't want to talk to his brother about Reina anymore. He would rather get through this by telling as few lies to his brother as possible.

He snapped. "Is there anything else you want? I need to get back to work."

Mokuba bit out, "I guess not. See you at home, dick head." He stood and retrieved his bag from the couch, slinging it over his shoulder as he stormed out of the room.

When the door clicked shut, Kaiba slumped into his chair. He rubbed his eyes and then smoothed his hair back. A litany of curse words passed through his mind. What the hell was wrong with him? At the New Year, he had promised himself that he would stop taking his frustrations out on Mokuba. He had lasted all but two weeks. He should have known this wouldn't be as easy in practice as it was on paper.

He pushed back from the desk and grabbed his phone. He would need to call his personal assistant to make arrangements for the yacht. A last minute trip like this was going to cost him. 

He laughed bitterly as the phone rang. Maybe he should keep a mental tally. The lawsuit might have actually saved him money in the long run. He buried the laughter when his assistant answered. God, Friday couldn't come soon enough.


	5. Chapter 5

It was finally Friday and Reina's gut had been churning all day. Thankfully Watanabe had left her before lunch, graciously explaining that she was on her own now but that he was always available if she needed his advice. She doubted he understood the true cause of her nerves that day. 

As soon as four hit, she couldn't keep her eyes from constantly checking the time. Her face was already starting to flush as she thought about meeting Kaiba at five.

Early that morning Kaiba had sent her a text saying to meet him in his office after work. He didn't say anything else. Already she was going over in her mind what he might have planned. For all she knew, they would spend the evening in his office once again. It seemed awfully risky, but he wouldn't waste time taking her out on an actual date. No, definitely not. And even if he had wanted to go out he would have told her to bring a dress.

Surely he wouldn't expect her to be prepared with a spare outfit if he decided he wanted to go to dinner? She began to fret, her pen tapping anxiously on her desktop as she read the same contract for the fifth time that hour. 

A soft knock on her closed office door nearly made her scream. She smoothed her shirt and called, "Come in."

Atsuko opened the door, her face carefully blank as her gaze swept across Reina. Atsuko never said anything, but she could feel her disapproval. Reina, with her straight black hair in a messy bun and rumpled black suit looked positively dowdy next to Atsuko.

Her assistant was the epitome of the personal assistant. She dressed fashionably, was accurate and efficient, and always knew what to say. Today, her brown hair still held a perfect wave after getting in at seven this morning. She had a crisp white shirt with bell sleeves tucked into an immaculate emerald green pencil skirt. Reina still did not understand how her outfits didn't show a single wrinkle by the end of the day.

"Ma'am, is there anything else I can do for you before we leave for the evening?"

Reina glanced at the clock. Five on the dot. She seriously was wondering if Atsuko was an android. That was just the kind of project Kaiba Corp would develop, and then test it out on it's ignorant employees.

Reina pushed aside her flustered thoughts and stood. She began scooping up the papers on her desk. She said stiffly, "That will be all, thank you."

Atsuko bowed, the door made hardly a sound when she closed it behind her. Reina wondered how any single person could be so perfect all the time. 

Reina took her time gathering up her things, trying her best to take deep, calming breaths. How was she more nervous now than last Friday? God, was she sweating?

She carefully schooled her features. The last thing she needed was to run into one of her coworkers looking like a flushed, nervous wreck.

She got to the bank of elevators and a small crowd was waiting to go down. A few glanced up from their phones when she pushed the button to call the elevators reserved for ascending, but no one looked too closely at her. She breathed a sigh of relief. Though word had spread fast in her department about the nature of her sudden promotion, she hadn't received too much attention for it. 

She knew that they were looking at her and thinking that the rumor couldn't be true. Why would Seto Kaiba be dating someone as boring and shabby as her? And she honestly didn't mind. Office gossip would move on to the next scandal and she would keep her head down to the grindstone. She would get everything she could out of their little arrangement and she didn't much care what anyone else thought.

The upward elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Only two others were in the elevator and she was grateful that she wouldn't have to fight for space. She was the only one on her floor going up. As the doors closed, she saw more than one head bob up, and an outburst of hushed words were lost behind the steel doors.

Reina felt embarrassment flood into her cheeks. Maybe she was not as invisible as she thought. A new pang of worry pinched her stomach. Was she being reckless? Kaiba wasn't exactly the kind of person who sought out the limelight, but news outlets loved reporting on scandal, and scandal involving billionaires even more. What if someone leaked her staff photo to the press? Was her boring-office-lady-look really enough to keep her hidden?

She had felt safe enough these past few years. Safe enough that she didn't immediately panic when she heard a knock on her door, or someone pacing in the hall of her building. She had started making plans. Attending night school. She needed out of her life of just scraping by. And to do it she needed education and money.

Maybe she was getting too comfortable, and it was making her sloppy. She would make sure all of her social media accounts were secure when she got home. Maybe change her passwords and her profile pictures to something generic, like cherry blossoms.

The men got off at another floor, leaving her alone when she arrived at the top floor. Thankfully, no one was waiting for an elevator as she stepped off. She smoothed the front of her suit coat and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She pulled off her glasses after a second thought and tucked them into her bag. The lenses were just blue light filters but they added another layer to her defenses.

She knocked twice on Kaiba's office door and waited for his gruff reply before letting herself in.

The office was flooded with the gold light of the setting sun. Kaiba was still in his desk chair, a silhouette of darkness with the light behind him. Reina's eyes adjusted to the light and she watched him from the door.

A strand of his slicked back hair had fallen across his forehead. He didn't pause to adjust it as he typed quickly on the keyboard. He wore a light pinstripe grey shirt and a black tie. His suit jacket was hanging up on a hook next to his winter coat. Reina hung her own winter coat up next to his. It wasn't an act that she would normally consider intimate and yet…

Kaiba said, "I'll be just a moment longer, it's been a while since I've left the office at five."

Reina set her handbag down on the little side table. She glanced at the couch briefly, heat already working its way to her core. She forced herself to walk slowly, exuding a calm she didn't feel. So they were leaving the office. A flutter of nerves unwound in her stomach.

She went to the window, gazing out at the skyline. "Take your time, I am at your disposal, after all."

The typing paused for just a moment. Reina held her breath. Had that been the wrong thing to say? She had meant to sound...flippant. Or maybe even flirtatious. The typing resumed and she took a quiet breath. The view here was really spectacular. She had not had a chance to see it in the light of day before. She tilted her head close to the glass, trying to see how well she could see the street below.

Despite herself she could feel her equilibrium shift as her eyes took in the dizzying drop. She wavered on her feet and suddenly he was there. His arm wrapped around her waist, his palm pressing against her stomach as the solid mass of his back supported her. His free hand caught the one the arm she had flung out to regain her balance. 

She looked over her shoulder at him in surprise, her head tilting back against his chest. Her breath caught in her throat. The piercing gaze of his blue eyes made her lips part in surprise. The warmth of his body spread through her like a jolt, the heat rising in her cheeks as every sense flooded with the spice of his cologne and his hand pressed against her stomach.

"Careful," he said. "I've seen people get sick from the vertigo. It's best not to look down."

"Good to know."

He released her and walked back to his computer. He closed the laptop and secured it in his desk. She took a small step away from the window and crossed her arms over her chest. Her heart was pounding. How much was from the vertigo or his touch, she couldn't be sure. 

"Good thing I chose the boat and not the helicopter, I suppose." 

Reina took in his words dumbly. "Boat? Are we going on a boat?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, you're not afraid of boats, are you?"

"No. I'm not a great swimmer, but boats are fine."

He nodded. "Let's go then. The car is waiting for us in the garage. We'll take my private elevator down."

He moved to the coat rack and shrugged into his suit jacket. Reina couldn't help but admire the line of his waist as he adjusted the jacket. He grabbed his coat, a black wool trench that fit his broad shoulders with impeccable tailoring. 

He reached for her winter coat, and his fingers paused for a moment on the material. His mouth was a thin line of disapproval. Reina could feel herself bristling up, preparing to tell him off if he felt the need to comment on her clothes again. She still hadn’t gotten up the nerve to insist he replace the shirt he destroyed.

But he didn't say anything. He held the coat up for her and helped her into it. His fingers lingered on her shoulders as she buttoned the coat. She kept her eyes carefully focused on tying the sash.

She grabbed her purse as he opened the door for them and they walked out into a nearly empty hallway. The people they passed had more tact than those below. They merely bowed their heads as Kaiba passed, barely even registering her presence as they passed down a short hallway to an elevator with key card access.

As the elevator doors closed, Reina asked, "Where are we going?" 

"To my family's yacht in Domino Bay. We'll have dinner there as well."

She wasn't sure what to make of this. Was this...a date? Or did he not want her in his home? She was, in a way, just a different kind of whore. Maybe he wanted her as far from his personal life as possible.

He seemed to sense her sudden tension. "My brother is home this weekend. I thought it would be best to have some privacy tonight." 

She nodded, the butterflies returning to her stomach. She laughed nervously. "Just the two of us then? I guess now's your chance to kill me and dump my body in the bay."

He gave her a surprised look, but beyond his initial reaction she couldn't tell if he was horrified or amused.

"There will be staff and crew, as well."

"Oh." Reina thought he had said they would have privacy. She guessed staff didn't count as witnesses. Which only added to her insinuation that he was going to murder her.

"It's not exactly the type of vessel I would choose to go dump a body. It's not...subtle."

Reina looked at him. He looked completely serious, and a nervous bubble of laughter escaped her mouth. He turned his head away as the elevator doors opened, but she would have sworn she saw a hint of a smile at his lips.

…

Once she saw the yacht, Reina understood exactly what he meant. Saying it was "not subtle" was one way to put it. She would say that it was a luxury mega yacht that shouldn't be used just to ferry around two people while they ate dinner and had sex. It was opulent and unnecessary and she felt severely underdressed. 

She followed Kaiba up the gangplank. The crew were standing to welcome them aboard, and they even greeted her by name. She barely had time to smile at them before Kaiba was stalking away, heading towards a private cabin tucked in the back.

She jogged to keep up, surprised by how steady the boat felt under her feet. She had never been on a boat before and desperately hoped she didn't get sea sick.

She followed him through the door and she stopped, her hands pressed against the frame to steady herself.

The room gleamed with brightly polished wood and cream walls. Warm lighting from the ceiling had been dimmed down, making the spacious room seem intimate. Windows looked out on two sides. A wide cream couch bordered the wall on her right, while a wooden bar took up the other end. A small swinging door led to the kitchens, and a metal spiral staircase disappeared into the floor above.

A small table set for two was in the middle of the room. One crew member was lighting candles while a second was taking Kaiba's coat and suit jacket. With the jackets slung over his arm, the man moved to her. He held out his hand to assist her over the low threshold of the door.

He gestured for her coat and she fumbled with the sash and buttons. He helped her out of the coat. After a moment's hesitation she handed him her suit jacket as well. She smoothed her hands over her black skirt. Even the crew's uniforms looked better quality than what she was wearing.

Kaiba removed his tie, handing it to the coatman as well. Reina mumbled her thanks as the man bowed his head to them and left the room. The other crewman popped the cork from a bottle of champagne and the sound made Reina flinch. 

She tucked an arm across her chest and picked at the sleeve of her shirt. She had wanted to seem so at ease, to prove that this arrangement wasn't a big deal. They could have their cake and eat it too. But as her head whirled around, she realized she was exuding everything but calm. If he had meant to intimidate her with this inordinate display of wealth, he had succeeded.

She started when Kaiba offered her a flute of champagne. Yes, alcohol was exactly what she needed. He touched his glass against hers and the fine vibration of crystal rang out. She took a delicate sip, refusing her first impulse to down the whole glass in one gulp.

The sweet bubbles flooded her mouth. Damn. It was so good. She took another sip and closed her eyes. She had a sudden vision of dosing Kaiba with the bottle and licking the champagne from his skin. She hid her grin from him by turning to look out the windows. 

"There's an observation deck above. Once we get farther out you can see the whole skyline reflected in the water."

She gestured to the spiral staircase. "Is that where that leads?"

"Yes. Second level is the bedroom and bath. Third is the observation deck."

"There are three levels?"

"Yes. Would you like to see them now?"

Reina suppressed her urge to fly up the stairs. "Maybe after we eat."

Kaiba nodded his head at the crewman behind the bar and the man disappeared into the kitchen. He set his glass on the table and touched his chair for a second before moving to the other side. He pulled out the chair and gestured for Reina to sit. She hoped she concealed her surprise well enough as he pushed the chair in for her. She whispered her thanks as he took his own seat.

Kaiba leaned back in his chair, looking perfectly comfortable in his surroundings. He tilted his glass back with ease, and Reina watched his throat as he swallowed a mouthful of champagne. She shifted in her seat, a mix of nervousness and anticipation making her twitch.

The door swung open behind her and she looked as the staff brought in a variety of small plates. Each held a stunning creation of food the likes of which she had not seen in a long time.

Her mouth immediately started to water.

Kaiba took up his fork and speared a thin slice of seared beef and popped it into his mouth.

Reina took pains to lay a napkin in her lap as she considered where to begin. A number of plates dotted the table. Were they sharing or should she stick to her side of the table? She smoothed the napkin over her lap a second time.

Kaiba practically growled, "Is something wrong?"

"No." She squeaked. She tucked her hair behind her ear. "And yes. I feel...out of place."

"Meaning?"

"My clothes, for one. I wish I could have dressed more appropriately. "

"Why? It's just us."

"Your staff…"

"They don't care what you're wearing. And I for one care more about what's underneath."

Reina's cheeks flamed. Her lips parted as her breath hitched. She was really having a hard time focusing, but for a second the food had little interest for her. Instead she met his heated gaze, noting the sudden tension in his shoulders, down to the stillness of his hands gripping the table. He swallowed visibly. She decided then and there that she would put them both out of their misery and launch herself at him. She didn't care what he or anyone else thought.

A sudden knock on the door snapped the tension. Reina dropped her eyes to her plate.

A deep voice said, "Sir, we're ready to embark."

"Thank you, Captain." Kaiba replied. His voice was cold and formal, and she wondered if she had imagined the tension between them.

The Captain left, closing the door as he went. A man shouted distantly and a bell sounded. A hint of a vibration shook through the floor, and the crystal on the table rang for a second.

When she got the nerve to look back up at him, her heart skipped a beat. His eyes looked at her hungrily, and every muscle in his body looked tight. As if he was preparing himself to pounce on her.

Her mouth went dry. She reached for her champagne and downed it. She licked the bead of wine from her bottom lip quickly. There was no way she could eat just now. "I'd like to go upstairs now."

Though his body still hummed with energy, when he finally moved it was with deliberate slowness. He didn't say a word, just stood and held out his hand for hers.

His hand was hot, and his thumb pressed against her wrist in a way that made her want to sink to her knees. She forced herself to meet his gaze, to see her desire evenly matched in his eyes. He dropped her hand and gestured to the spiral staircase.

The steps were narrow and after a moment's hesitation Reina slipped off her heels. The last thing she needed was to slip and send both of them crashing to the floor. 

The room above was lit with the same warm light as the lower level. Windows on either side of the room were filled with the glittering view of the lights of Domino City reflecting off the water. A large bed took up one wall, with cream linen and nautical blue pinstripes. 

She barely had time to take in the room before Kaiba was pressed against her back. One hand lay flat on her stomach, pressing her against him, while the other swept her hair away from her neck. He lips pressed against her neck, his breath coming hot across her skin.

She shivered, suppressing a groan as she leaned into him.  _ Finally _ . Her knees were like jelly as he started unbuttoning her shirt. She reached up, seeking his shoulders and the back of his head for support.

"Wait." She gasped.

His hands froze. His lips moved against her neck, his voice low, "What?"

She gulped. "The windows." 

He pulled the edge of her shirt out of her skirt and undid the last button. "The glass is tinted."

She stepped out his arms. His hands were frozen in the air. "Please." 

He grunted. He pulled out his phone and jabbed at that screen. With a quiet whir of sound, curtains descended over the windows. 

"Better?" He muttered.

Reina's lips pinched together as she eyed the open staircase to the floor below.

He followed her gaze. "For god's sake woman, no one will be watching us!"

He stalked towards her, his mouth glowering at her. Reina flinched, surprised at his sudden ferocity. She repressed a squeal as he swept her up. He hooked his arms around her waist and under her knees and before she knew it he had deposited her onto the soft bed, the comforter billowing around her as she sank into the bed.

She barely had a chance to prop herself up on her elbows when he grabbed her skirt, tugging the zipper roughly. He pulled the skirt from her legs and whipped it across the room.

Reina fought for breath as he devoured her with his gaze. A hot pulse of longing thrummed between her thighs and she couldn't hold back a gasp as he kicked off his shoes and joined her on the bed.

He kneeled between her legs, the seams of his pants straining against his thighs. He hands slid to her ankles and up her legs until he reached the black lace of her underwear. He pulled them off unceremoniously, flinging them across the room to join her skirt.

In one sudden movement he buried his head between her thighs, his tongue pressing against her clit. She pressed a hand to her mouth, stifling her own moan of pleasure. His tongue circled the heat of her, sending a delicious spiral of sensation through her body.

He sucked and licked her in an incessant tempo that made her want to scream. She grabbed a pillow and buried her head in it, infuriated by his stupid rule that she not cry out. He didn't let up, even as he adjusted her legs around his shoulders. She dug her feet into the soft fabric of his shirt, her hips thrusting up to meet his mouth in a desperate attempt to hasten her release. 

She gasped against the pillow, fighting for breath as she started unwinding beneath him. She grabbed his head, her fingers twining into his hair as a tidal wave of ecstasy crashed over her. Her body tensed, her fingers and toes curling as she came hard against his mouth. 

His attentions slowed as she went limp around him. He wiped his mouth on the inside of her thigh. He sat up, his eyes dark and a glimmer of a sneer on his face. Reina looked up at him, the pillow still covering her mouth as she watched him. Her eyes were wide and she drank him in as he unbuttoned his shirt. 

His clothes fell away, revealing the powerful form of his body. Reina's eyes roved his body freely. From his powerful shoulders and chest, down the ripple of muscle across his stomach. Lingering finally as his hands undid the belt at his waist.

His cock was pressed against the fly of his pants, and a flood of heat filled her once more as he revealed the hard length, his pants falling to the floor in a puddle of fabric.

Reina realized that she was still wearing her shirt. Though it was unbuttoned, revealing a plain black bra with a lace edge. It was as fancy as she had been able to muster, and she wasn’t about to spend her first paycheck on underwear. She slipped out of her shirt, letting it fall to the floor. He watched her closely as she took off her bra, her nipples already in stiff peaks under the heat of his gaze.

He held himself, his fingers stroking his length. His voice was hoarse. "I'm going to come in you."

She didn't trust her voice and settled for a quick nod. She hadn't really considered how much she wanted to hear him say those words until they crossed his lips. Her face flushed as she thought about the thick cum slipping down her thighs.

As if he could read her thoughts, he was between her legs in a moment. He settled between her thighs and guided his cock into her with exquisite slowness. 

Her mouth opened wide and she reached once again for the pillow as she threw her head back. He sank into her, pressing open her legs as he ground his hips against hers. 

He ripped the pillow from her hands, his face inches from hers as he held himself over her. His weight was on one elbow as he used his other hand to lift her ass, pressing her firmly against his grinding hips. Reina bit her lip, holding back a desperate cry as he filled her again and again with his hard length. The torture of his thrusting into her, the way he pulled her against his hips. She didn't think she could bear it.

His blue eyes held her frozen beneath him, but as his breath came quicker she could feel him starting to lose control. His thrusts changed from a steady rhythm to a sudden desperate pounding. 

The pleasant throb of his cock pressing inside her started to build in intensity. Her eyes widened as a fresh wave of pleasure took hold of her, sending her back arching. She wrapped a leg around his back, some part of her trying to keep him there for as long as possible. 

With one arm she clung to him, and with her free hand she balled into a fist and stuffed it against her mouth. Even that could not contain the pathetic whimper that escaped her lips as she shattered once more, her body going limp around him. His fingers tightened on her ass, refusing to relinquish her as he drove into her. 

His gasp scorched her neck as his release came sudden and hard. His body tensed and his thrusts slowed until he lay still, pressed between her thighs. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. Reina didn’t move. She just focused on her own breathing and the warmth of his body, feeling more relaxed in that moment than she had ever felt in her life.


	6. Chapter 6

Kaiba took a breath, his body relaxing with the exhaustion of release. He was still inside her, the smell and taste of her on his lips. The heat of her soft skin against his lulled him as he regained his breath. The pressure of her thighs around his hips was suddenly the only thing he needed.

He flinched at the thought and pulled away. He sat up, kneeling between her thighs. The sweat on his chest was already cooling.

She looked dazed, mouth open as she took deep breaths. Her body was languid and her legs were still spread wantonly before him. The evidence of his orgasm soaking the soft skin of her cunt. 

He cupped himself with one hand and got out of the bed. He needed to step away and regain his composure. He walked to the bathroom to clean up.

He comforted himself that it was a natural biological impulse to feel close to someone after sex, and that what they had just done meant no more to him than any other sex he had before.

Well, not any other. He had had somewhat meaningful sex with former girlfriends. He had cared about them in his way. He had never said the words "I love you" but as far as he was concerned he wasn’t sure he really understood what love meant when it came to women. It was an exhausting dance around what someone said versus what they thought. Even if he never thought those complicated words, he showed that he cared in other ways.

Not that it would matter in the end. He got the same complaint from every former relationship: he was emotionally unavailable. 

_ What did that even mean? _

Just because he didn't talk about his feelings didn't mean he didn't have them. What was the point of talking about it when he could manage it himself? He had managed by himself for the past 25 years, and a girlfriend didn't change that.

Kaiba grabbed a washcloth roughly and soaked it with hot water. Why was he even thinking about former girlfriends? Reina wasn't technically his girlfriend and he didn't need to be concerned about what he was  _ supposed _ to do. Their arrangement was the definition of emotionally unavailable. It was business and sex. No more.

_ Except what about your Rule Number Three? _

Kaiba tossed the washcloth onto the counter and grabbed a fresh one. He stalked back out into the bedroom.

Reina was standing next to the bed, her back to him as she tied up her hair. A tattoo of a blue eye was on her shoulder blade. He looked closer and realized there was also a white design of the long serpentine body of a dragon.

He stepped closer. Something about it nagged at the back of mind. He must have seen this somewhere before. It could have been a traditional design, yet he couldn't place it.

She turned, feeling his presence. She flinched a little when she looked at him. 

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"You have a tattoo."

She blushed a little. "And?"

"I didn't notice it before." She certainly didn't seem the type. Nowadays a tattoo was nothing more than just a tattoo to most people, except maybe little old ladies. He had never really understood their appeal.

He handed her the washcloth. She took it sheepishly and he turned away, heading to the closet to pull out a bathrobe. He should have arranged for a spare set of clothes, he wasn't quite ready to get back into his work clothes. He slipped into the thick blue material, glad to be clothed in some way.

He grabbed a white robe for Reina and closed the closet door. Reina was out of sight and he heard water running in the bathroom. She made a reappearance shortly and he handed her the robe.

She slipped into it gratefully, a small sigh escaping her as the material covered her shoulders. Kaiba watched the line of her neck as she adjusted the collar, his hand twitching as he thought about touching the soft skin there. They had hurtled right past foreplay, and he was already thinking about what they might do next. 

Her stomach suddenly growled loudly and she looked at him with wide eyes. The tension from before was long gone. Though she laughed nervously, he could see the ease in which she looked at him. Her mouth quirked in a small smile, eyes requesting that he satisfy her.

He controlled the sudden urge to take her back to bed.

He turned away. "I'll have something brought up."

He pulled his pants off the floor and grabbed his phone out of the pocket. He checked the on-board app and selected a few food options for them. Then he checked the navigation to see where they were.

"We're pretty far out, if you want to head upstairs and look."

He didn't look up from his phone, but he heard her pad softly across the rug and to the stairs. 

"Are...are you coming?" she asked.

"In a minute."

There was a pause and then she ascended the stairs.

Kaiba checked his email, making sure there was nothing that needed his immediate attention. He grabbed their discarded clothes off ground and set them somewhat orderly on the bed.

A waiter came up with a tray of hot food, wine, and fresh glasses. He went to set it down on the small table and Kaiba stopped him, waving for him to hand it over.

If the waiter was surprised, he didn't show it. Instead he passed the tray into Kaiba's outstretched arms. He slipped a corkscrew from a pocket and slipped it onto the tray.

Kaiba dismissed him with a curt nod and went to the stairs. He navigated the spiral stairs to the top room. The air was noticeably cooler as he entered the dark room.

Large glass windows encased the sides and roof to create a weather proof observation room. A low table and stuffed chairs in ivory canvas took one corner. There was a round hot tub and a large day bed stacked with pillows in coral accents.

The distant skyscrapers of Domino City illuminated the night. Though the sun had set long ago, it was still difficult to see stars in the night sky. But the water shimmered with the reflection of a million lights.

Even in the low lighting of the room, Kaiba could see Reina's face as she stood, gazing at the city with a mixture of pain and longing furrowing her brow. She gnawed at her bottom lip. Kaiba cleared his throat and set the tray down on the table.

"The view is spectacular." Reina said without emotion. She sat down by the table, any hint of distress wiped clean. She glanced at the covered dishes. "I don't suppose they were able to salvage the food we abandoned?"

He was mildly annoyed but he couldn’t place exactly why. He wanted to know, and yet he didn’t want to deal with whatever emotional turmoil she was dealing with. Clearly she had been thinking about something upsetting, yet here she was, pretending like nothing was wrong. Was she having second thoughts? Maybe she was still convinced he was planning to ditch her in the middle of the bay.

"The staff will have helped themselves," he said.

He uncovered the dish, steam billowing into the chilly air.

A delicately cooked lamb shank with root vegetables filled the china plate. A creamy sauce was artfully swirled around the plate.

Reina leaned a little closer to the table and breathed deeply, unabashedly enjoying the aroma. It gave him a strange satisfaction to see it. He wondered if she had ever had a meal quite like this.

He recalled her stunned silence when they had first entered the boat. He hadn't considered a response like that. In the past, his dates had either been unfazed or overly excited, the former because they had such wealth themselves, and the latter because they had  _ some _ wealth but were still dreaming of bigger, better,  _ more _ . 

He pushed the thought away and uncovered the second dish. Swordfish with potato puree and dripping with butter and lemon. Reina was practically salivating.

Kaiba asked, "Which one would you like?"

Her hesitation returned. "Which one do you prefer for yourself?"

"I like both, that's why I ordered them."

"I'll take the fish." She grabbed a pillow from the couch and tossed it onto the floor. She kneeled at the table and reached for the plate herself. Clearly hunger had pushed aside any lingering hesitancy.

Kaiba popped the cork on the bottle of Chardonnay and poured them both a glass. Reina waited for Kaiba to sit on the chair across from her before she began eating. 

Though Kaiba has always enjoyed that fish dish, he doubted he had ever enjoyed it the way she was that moment. She made a satisfied sound and murmured a compliment to the chef.

Kaiba tucked into his lamb, the tender meat cutting easily under his knife.

Reina asked, "How often do you come out here?"

"Not often." 

Her head tilted up, waiting for him to elaborate. He took a sip of wine, watching her over the glass. Is this how it was to be? He would have to make conversation with her after all? 

She asked another question. "How many people can this boat carry?"

"120 or so, plus crew."

"120?" She gave a weird scoff. "And it's just us two?" 

He was surprised by her reaction. What was she trying to say, exactly? He kept his face impassive, but he could feel tension creeping back into his shoulders.

"Next time your brother is in town, we could just go to a hotel."

Kaiba swallowed roughly, a large chunk of parsnip moving tightly down his throat. "Are you not enjoying yourself?" He couldn't control the anger that crept into his voice. Was she going to praise his food and then judge him?

"I am. This night has been...amazing."

That stopped him. He didn't look up from his plate too long, but the expression on her face was thoughtful.

"This is one of those once in a lifetime experiences," she said slowly. "With luxury like this...I guess for you this is just another Friday night." She gave a cold little laugh, but he didn't detect an insult there. She took a sip of wine and licked her bottom lip softly. "I just don't understand this kind of life. Why this boat if it's just the two of us?"

He considered. In truth, this happened because he had panicked when Mokuba cornered him. But that didn't answer the real question. Why did he take any date on this boat? It wasn't like Reina was the first person he had wined and dined this way.

_ Because it's what people expect of me. _ When you have wealth, people expect you to spend it. If you don't, something is wrong with you. Or worse, something is wrong with your finances. It was annoying at best, anxiety inducing at worst. 

He was always calculating the cost in every personal relationship of his life. What it appeared he was spending versus actual cost, divided by its intended effect. Had he done enough to woo a client, a partner, a politician, even a girlfriend? Hell, he had even done it with Reina. The only difference was that she was in on the conversation. 

But he didn't want to get bogged down in all that. He had accepted that part of this life long ago. He said simply. "Because it's the best."

She made a noncommittal sound and returned to finishing her plate. She had wolfed the food down in record time. Her fork scraped the last bit of potatoes from her plate and she sighed happily.

She put her fork down and shivered. "I don't suppose we can turn the heat up?"

Kaiba pulled out his phone and raised the temperature. This was not an easy room to heat.

"Could I use the hot tub?" she asked.

" _ I  _ don't care what you do."

She got up from the pillow and took her wine glass with her. He watched as she set the glass on the wide edge of the tub. She climbed the little platform and pulled up the hem of the bathrobe to sit on the edge before lowering her feet into the steaming water.

A low moan escaped her lips and set every hair on the back of his neck on edge.

"It's perfect," she breathed. She didn't look at him as she slipped out of the bathrobe. Her breasts and arms were covered with goosebumps as she sank into the water. Her nipples had tightened in the cool air and then disappeared below the water. She sank up to her neck and leaned her head against the side.

He swallowed another bite of food, his own appetite suddenly satiated. He finished his wine, breathing in the oaky finish. After a moment he grabbed his glass and the bottle and went to the hot tub. He topped up Reina's glass without a word before refilling his own.

He could feel her eyes on his body as he slung the bathrobe from his shoulders. It pooled on the ground at his feet. He bypassed the steps and swung himself over the side, slipping his legs smoothly into the water. He sank onto the seat across from her. The water barely covered his chest.

“Graceful,” she said.

He narrowed his eyes at her, searching for a joke. He understood some barbs from her end were in order, at least for a little bit, but if was going to have to endure constant commentary on his every move then he was better off getting himself an actual girlfriend.

She didn’t say anything else, but continued looking at him in that searching way she had. Maybe he wasn’t giving her enough credit. The water really was very nice. It had been so long since he had gotten away from the office. He rested his arms on the tiled rim and looked out over the dark bay. It would be nice to just relax and close his eyes for a moment, let the water work out the stubborn knot in his lower back.

“May I ask you something?” she asked.

_ So much for that. _ He growled, “You may ask, and I may choose not to answer.”

Her grinding teeth were practically audible. “Rule Number Three.”

_ Here it comes.  _ He cut her off, “Is that the question?” 

“I’m getting there.” 

Annoyance finally creeped into her voice. He had wondered how long she would last. She took a sip of wine and replaced the glass, the foot clicking lightly against the tiled tub. Her lips smacked softly as she swallowed. Her head tilted, her brown eyes soft in the dark. She leaned forward a little, even though they were already close in the two seat hot tub.

The annoyance was gone, replaced with unabashed curiosity as she asked, “Why do you want me to learn how to play Duel Monsters?”


	7. Chapter 7

The hot water steamed gently into the cool air around them. Reina wanted to sink down even lower into the water, but she wondered now if that would make her seem cowardly. 

She had a feeling that asking Kaiba about any of the rules might make him defensive. But of the three, the final one had surprised her the most. 

It wasn't that she was surprised that it was Duel Monsters related. After all, Kaiba Corp was second only to Industrial Illusions when it came to the game. Kaiba himself was ranked second in the nation in competitive play. Or at least he had been, she wasn't all too sure how that all worked.

What surprised her was that he wanted her to learn the game at all. On Monday he had sent her instructions to download an unlocked version of an app he had developed to teach people the game. Though normally the app would allow users to unlock, or buy, packs of cards, her version gave her complete access to the entire catalog. He had even included a written lesson plan with supplemental videos. It had been daunting to say the least. 

But what she really wanted to know was why. Of all the things he could have chosen, why did he want her to play Duel Monsters? She waited patiently for him to reply, wondering if her tone had been condescending when she had asked. One thing that she was starting to realize about Kaiba was he was quick to take offense, or, dare she say, he was sensitive. 

At last he said, "Believe it or not, I may not have the stamina to have sex for seven hours." 

Her brow wrinkled. "You just wanted something else for us to do?"

She wasn't sure she would ever figure this man out. She considered questioning why he would even include such a back up plan. After all, he could just ignore her or send her away until he was ready for her. There was nothing in their agreement that said they had to be in each other's company for the entirety of Friday evening. But she had agreed to be at his disposal, and if learning how to play Duel Monsters was his requirement, then she had to oblige.

"It certainly guarantees a topic of conversation." As if to prove his point, he nodded his head at her, a strand of his slicked back hair falling over his forehead. "Did you use the app?"

"The app has been very thorough. Though I wish that there had been some kind of screening at the beginning to determine player knowledge."

One eyebrow raised a fraction before dropping back into it's usual passivity. His finger tapped against the side of the tub silently. "Go on."

"For people who have basic knowledge, it’s unnecessary to show them the difference between a spell card and a trap card. A simple question in the beginning could bypass the tutorial for a lot of people and let them get straight into the first match."

"You found the introduction redundant?"

"In a way. I remember playing the game as a kid. I don't remember much of the rules, but as far as basics like putting cards in play, I remembered that easily enough."

"Fair enough."

"I read through what you sent me, but I'm still wondering what my goal should be with this. Do you want me to play against you?" 

His body shook as he suppressed a laugh. "I hadn't really planned on it, I don't think it would be fun for you."

Reina's jaw clenched. She understood that the odds of her beating someone who had played the game for years were low. But his reaction brought back all the boys at school who would refuse to let her, or any of the other girls, play with them.

"If playing me is such a waste of your time, I wonder why you bothered having me learn at all." 

He gave her an icy glance. "I didn't say it was a waste of  _ my _ time. Are you saying you would enjoy losing every game?"

"Why do you assume I would lose?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "You understand who I am?"

She made a sound of disgust and sank low into the water. How had she spent so much time mooning over this man? She pressed her legs together. And yet despite his antagonizing, she still found herself so intensely attracted to him. He could bend her over the side of the hot tub right now and she wouldn't even mind. A dark well of embarrassment made her lash out in anger.

"Yeah,  _ I know who you are _ . The Great Seto Kaiba, Prince of Card Games, all others are worms in his presence."

His mouth clenched in a thin line. "Cute." His tone declared that he thought it was anything but. "You know that's not what I meant."

"No, obviously I don't know what you mean. Just because you've won competitions doesn't mean that no one could possibly beat you."

He leaned forward, his hands still gripping the edge of the tub. His whole body was tense, as he ground out. "No, I'm saying that I have been playing this game since I was a child. And not just playing, but studying it. When I wasn't playing Duel Monsters, my step father was drilling me on wargames, military and business strategy, every single day. He was preparing me to take over his company, but he also forced me to become one of the best tactical strategists in the country. That's why I'm saying you'll lose."

He stared at her, the heat in his gaze making her feel like she could shrink in on herself. Her throat was tightening in on itself. She couldn't let him brow beat her. Her first instinct was to match his temper, yet she found herself confused by his anger. She swallowed and reminded herself, this was a business arrangement. And she could be the bigger person like she always was.

She narrowed her eyes at him, signaling her disapproval at his tone. "Well, it's a good thing I have you as a teacher then, is it not?" 

His brow furrowed and he leaned back against the tub. The heat left his eyes, but his jaw was still tight. "You can challenge me if you feel like it, but I won't go easy on you."

"Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way."

….

By Monday morning, Reina still hadn't been able to decipher the strange end to their first official Friday night. The office was quiet early in the morning, and Reina ruminated freely as she walked through the empty lobby to take an elevator to her floor.

She had been back to her apartment by 11:52 on the dot. She had noted the time as she slipped out of her shoes. It was a rude awakening to return to her small little loft after the opulence of that giant boat.

Kaiba had wanted his driver to take her home, but Reina had objected. The last thing she needed was to be dropped off in her tiny neighbor in a luxury sedan. At best it would attract unwanted attention, at worst it would get her mugged.

She sighed loudly in the empty hallway of her department, walking quickly to unlock her office door. Her assistant would be here in about 30 minutes, and Reina preferred to be in the thick of things by the time she arrived. The last thing she needed was Atsuko's critical gaze to assess her flushed cheeks and dark under eye circles. The woman seemed designed to sniff out her every weakness.

But as she set her bags down on her desk, she let her mind drift a little further. It had been such a lovely night, and she still had the tired, weak muscles to prove it. Champagne, dinner, and so much more…

Until she had gone and ruined it by bringing up a stupid card game.

The rest of the night had not gone as smoothly as those first few hours. The conversation had pretty well dried up after their little spat. And it was the strangest thing, it was Kaiba who couldn't seem to shake it off. 

Reina had resolved to let it go and move on. She made a little more small talk before Kaiba's disinterestedness made her give up. They finished their wine and got out of the hot tub. After getting dressed, Reina resolved to explore the boat while Kaiba excused himself to check his email.

She wasn't sure when the spell had broken. Whether it was when they had fought, or when they stepped back into their clothes, or maybe it was when she had suggested looking around the rest of the boat. He had not offered to go with her, and she had not asked him. He had merely shrugged his shoulders and pulled out his cellphone, stating that he had emails to respond to. 

Reina got out her computer and stowed her bags in the large drawer of her desk. She used the keys to unlock the drawers of files behind her desk, gathering the folders of documents in her hands. She had a conference call later that day to negotiate distribution rights and she needed to review several briefs prepared by the legal team. They were specific about what she could and could not say, and she was not about to give Marco any more ammunition against her.

She slapped the folders on the desk, thoughts of Kaiba pushed aside as her irritation with Marco grew. She didn't understand why she had become Marco's punching bag.

Marco had worked for a short time in Legal before he had been bumped up to management. She remembered he had once rolled his eyes at her during a meeting when she had suggested a procedural change. Other than that, they hadn't had many interactions. She certainly didn't understand why he felt the need to question her every decision. 

Well, she had an idea. But it just seemed so easy to say that he didn't like her because she was a woman. It was true she was the only woman on their team, but it's not like there weren't other female managers. And he was downright flirtatious with Atsuko, and friendly with all the support staff.

Maybe that was the problem. The first being that her plain clothes and minimal makeup did not make her desirable in his eyes. The second being that she hadn't stayed in her lane. It wouldn't have been the first time a man thought women couldn't be managers.

Even that made her cringe. Because if she really wanted to admit it, being an Account Manager was not as exciting as she thought it would be. It wasn't that she couldn't do the work. If Watanabe and her other coworkers were to be trusted, she was off to a good start. But she had to admit that at the end of the day she was feeling weary in a way she hadn't expected. 

Her phone vibrated and it made her jump. 

She grabbed the phone and her heart leapt for a second time. An email from Kaiba to her personal account.

_Reina,_

_ It was brought to my attention Saturday morning that some photographs were taken on Friday evening. Per our agreement, I have acquired the photos in question and have systems in place should one surface publicly. After reviewing the images, I can assure you that the subjects are not particularly identifiable. The photographer did know my identity but claimed to not know anything about the female subject. I have no reason to believe that there has been a breach of contract, and consider this issue resolved.  _

_ S. Kaiba _

Reina's heart sank to her stomach, her chest tightening as she fought to take in a steady breath.  _ Photos. Photos of them. Photos of her. _ Her mind was racing yet each thought came sluggishly. She gripped the desk top with icy fingers as she struggled to suppress the panic that was washing over her.

Without really thinking it through, she was pulling up Kaiba's number. The phone rang against her ear as she pressed her free hand into her forehead. 

"Yes?" Kaiba's gruff voice answered after two rings.

"What kind of photos?" She blurted.

"As I explained in my email, there's nothing identifying them to either of us."

" _ What kind of photos? _ " she practically hissed.

There was a beat of silence. "The photos are of us getting out of the car and boarding the boat. As I said the other night, the windows of that cabin are tinted, so even if someone had taken photos of us fu-"

"Alright," she cut him off. Now her cheeks were flushing for a different reason. "So you can’t see our faces?"

"Not as such. If you want to see them you can come up to my office. I'm not going to email them to you and risk you leaking them yourself."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You use a free email service with no encryption and you probably use the same password for every account."

She could feel her teeth grinding.  _ The nerve of this mother- _ "Then why email me at all?"

"I didn't identify  _ you _ as the female subject in the body of the email. Though now that I'm aware of your complete overreaction about such things, I'll keep all future communication to phone calls to eliminate a potential paper trail."

Reina shuddered a little. His words triggered far too many memories and emotions. She was starting to think she would never have a normal life. She pushed aside the prickle of anxiety and buried it with anger. "I'm not overreacting. I have the right to know in what context I'm being photographed."

Another beat of silence. "You're right. I can send you copies on an encrypted thumb drive if you want to see them."

Reina felt her pulse settle down. She took a calming breath. "No, it's fine. I don't need to see them. I trust your judgment. In this, at least."

His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Very gracious of you."

"Also, 'paper trail'? Really?"

"Despite all of our careful arrangements, I'm still going to do everything to protect myself and my company from a lawsuit."

Reina's stomach sank again. How could she forget? But she had for a second, hadn't she? An orgasm and a hot tub did not make a relationship. But they had enjoyed themselves...to a point.

She shook her head and teased him. "How's that working out for you?"

"More difficult than I expected."

Reina waited for a joke at her expense, but it didn't come. Instead she said flippantly, "It will be over faster than you know it."

"Speaking of which, I'm sending you a Duel Monsters deck. You should get familiar with it before our first match."

Reina's heart skipped a beat. "Our first match?"

"First or only, depends if you'll want a rematch after I crush you."

She would have sworn she detected a bit of humor in his voice. "How do I know you've made me a good deck? Maybe I want to make my own."

"First of all, I don't need to cheat to beat you. Secondly, it takes a lot of time and game knowledge to build a deck from scratch. We can make changes once you get more comfortable playing, but for now, you'll have to trust me on this too."

"Alright, well, I guess I'd better get studying." Reina felt a smile creep onto her face and she couldn't shake it off.

"You'd better. I’ve sent an email with the list of cards in the deck I’ll be using. You should make sure you review them so you know what you’re up against. This isn’t normally how this is done, but this is really just a training exercise."

“I already looked up your deck build, your Blue Eyes White Dragons aren’t exactly a secret.”

He paused. “I’m not using that deck. I’m teaching you Advanced format, it’s what most competitions use. Most of the cards from my deck are forbidden.”

“Forbidden? They can do that?”

He sounded bitter. “Some cards are too powerful for the average player to combat, so banning cards levels the playing field.”

“Oh...so you’re saying there  _ is _ a chance I can beat you.”

He snorted. “No.”

“ _ Sure _ . We’ll find out on Friday.” She couldn’t help but smile as she hung up the phone.

Atsuko cleared her throat from the doorway. Reina nearly jumped out of her chair as she turned to look at her.

Atsuko Kinashita was exactly the type of person that rattled Reina. She was terrifying in her poise and perfection. Today she was wearing deep red high waisted pants and cream blouse with billowing sleeves. Her dark brown hair was in a high ponytail and she had elegant gold hoops in her ears.

She had light grey eyes that bore right through to her soul. And even though Reina was technically her supervisor, every time Atsuko looked at her she felt like she was the one being assessed. 

“Good morning, Ms. Ito.”

Reina set her phone down roughly, as if she had been caught. “Good morning! And please, call me Reina.”

Atsuko gave her a noncommittal nod. “Mr. Masuda wants to meet with you this morning. I moved your meeting with Mr. Watanabe to later in the week.”

_ Marco.  _ Of course he needed something. Reina plastered a smile on her face. “That would be fine.”

Atsuko’s grey eyes flashed. “And I’ll have the latest drafts up from Legal in the next hour.”

“Thank you, Atsuko.” Reina said.

“Is there anything you need right away?”

“No, that will be all.”

Atsuko bobbed her head and closed the office door behind her. 

Reina thunked her head down on the desk. Why did every gesture of friendliness hit like a brick wall with Atsuko? She thought she was being considerate and friendly, but Atsuko continued to give her this arresting gaze that seemed to say, “I know something you don’t know. And your every thought, too.”

…

When Marco walked into her office a few hours later, Reina was buried deep in paperwork. She had become hung up on the specific nomenclature that Legal insisted they use when discussing “the Product” and she had gotten bogged down in one the case studies they had supplied for reference.

Her glasses rested on the top of her head. She pulled her hair into a messy bun at the base of her neck, but she had missed a strand and had to keep tucking it behind her ear. Her black suit coat was discarded over the back of her chair, so nothing was hiding the fact that her shirt had become untucked from her skirt.

Marco knocked and swept open the door without waiting for a reply. He let it slam shut behind him and he helped himself to a chair in front of Reina’s desk.

“Good morning.” Reina said without warmth. Although both knew that there was no love lost here, she did her best to keep their interactions from breaking out into open hostilities. Though Marco certainly tested her patience.

Marco had a Brazilian mother and a Japanese father, and he had been blessed with flawless tawny skin and high cheekbones as a result. Most of the women in Legal had been smitten with him, and from what Reina had observed so far, things hadn’t changed. Even now she could acknowledge that his immaculate crew cut and light green eyes were a force to be reckoned with.

He lounged back in the chair and tapped his foot. “Did you review the email I sent you?”

_ Shit _ . Reina glanced at her inbox. He had sent it five minutes ago, when was she supposed to have reviewed it? Instead she said, “Not yet, I’ve been reviewing the briefs from Legal.”

“Those are a waste of time. If you had looked at my email, you would have seen that Kurtzpfahl has already made amendments. Everything needs to be rewritten.”

“When did that happen?” 

He flashed her a grin. “Officially, this morning. Unofficially, Friday night.”

Reina could feel herself frowning. “Anders said he didn’t want us working after hours on this.”

“It wasn’t work.” He adjusted his jacket. “Those Germans sure can hold their liquor.”

Reina couldn’t hold back a sigh.

He gave her a mocking little grin. “What’s the big deal? We got the domestic market clause.”

“We don’t have anything if it’s not in writing.”

“It was a gentleman’s agreement.”

It physically pained Reina to let that comment rest. Instead she flipped through the attachments in Marco’s email. “Where’s the updated offer?”

“That’s why I came over, so you could write it. I’ll fill you in on the details so you can type it up.”

Reina could feel herself literally swelling with anger. She kept her voice cool and even. “I think your assistant is more than capable in assisting you with that.”

“No, Hina’s good and all, but she doesn’t know the legal terms like you do. You’re like a dictionary. Besides, you’re more well versed on the contract.”

“I am, but-”

“So, let’s get to work.” He patted his thigh. “Let’s hammer this out before Anders gets on our asses for not having our shit together.”

Already he was lumping her in with this mess. She ground her teeth and opened up the documents. There was no use fighting this. If she helped him, she could skate through without having her work ethic being called into question. If she didn’t, he would throw the blame on her and make her life more difficult that he already was. It was a fucking rat race. Her best bet was to get through as quickly as possible and get the updated information to Legal. Maybe, just maybe, she would be able to get it ready before their meeting that afternoon.

Her fingers were poised on the keyboard. “Alright, let’s go.”

She didn’t miss his smug grin. “That’s a girl!”


End file.
